How is climate change affecting the parking industry?

Climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is a serious global problem that affects diverse areas of economic activity, including the parking industry. As temperatures rise, so does the sea level, and extreme climate events become more frequent. That is why the parking industry is facing a number of challenges and opportunities related with sustainability and efficiency.

More and more citizens are choosing mass transit to cover their transport needs and cutting back on private vehicle use to mitigate pollution. This trend has led many cities to implement low-emissions areas, limiting private vehicles’ access to city centers. Although it is an environmentally-positive measure, it has also generated a need to create alternative parking areas in strategic sites.

What is more, cities are prioritizing pedestrians and cutting back on private vehicle parking spaces in city centres. Although these changes are meant to provide a friendlier environment for locals, they also generate higher demand for parking in convenient locations.

In this situation, cooperation among parking operators and local authorities is essential to find effective solutions that meet citizens’ mobility requires while promoting urban sustainability.

Some key adaptation strategies include:

Digital parking management: the implementation of parking management systems can optimize operations inside a parking facility, reducing the time vehicles spend driving around searching for an available parking space, making for lower carbon emissions.

In a world affected by climate change, it is essential that parking facilities be prepared for extreme climate events, like flooding, and the damp that can result from it. Investing in high-quality water-protected products such as parking guidance sensors with an IP65/67 classification plays a vital role in maintenance, since they guarantee a parking facility’s operational continuity by enabling the installed parking systems to work in wet or even flooded conditions. This way, operators overcome potential loss of income and dissatisfied customers. These products also require less maintenance over time, which means cost savings, and guarantees compliance with safety regulations and flooding protection measures.

Charging infrastructure for electrical vehicles: As drivers opt for more for sustainable transport options, electric vehicles are coming to the fore. Parking facilities play a fundamental role in facilitating this transition by installing EV charging stations on their premises. These components not only let drivers charge their vehicles conveniently, they also promote the overall adoption of electric cars.

Solar panels: Solar panels installed on the roofs of parking structures can capture the sun’s energy and turn it into electricity. This electricity can be used to power parking facility lighting, electric vehicle charging systems or, in some cases, sent to the local grid, which means less dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels. Even though the initial investment in solar panels and their installation can be significant, in the long term, they can generate major savings in a facility’s electricity bill.